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D'oh! Forgot to take OG reading. Any help?


Jimmy

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\u2019Ello there, new member here! Long-time lurker, first-time poster.

 

I recently took the plunge into the world of partial extract brewing, but amidst all the hassle (first time using grains, rehydrating the yeast etc.) I forgot to take an OG reading. [pinched] I tried a couple of those online brew calculators only to find myself completely hopeless with them. Could one of you gurus help me out with an estimate of the OG (and ABV) I ended up with? I used the following ingredients:

 

- 1 can of Coopers Real Ale

- 1 kg of Pale Ale malt

- 500 grams of Crystal 60

- 500 grams of amber DME

- kit yeast

- 30 grams of Styrian Goldings (15-20 minutes)

- 30 grams of Styrian Goldings (for dry hopping)

 

I mashed the grains in approximately 5-6 liters of water at 65-70 degrees (fluctuated a bit) for 90 minutes, after which I boiled the hops and added the DME and the can of goo. Oh, and I ground the grains rather finely (used a strainer bag), if that makes any difference for the efficiency. Cooled the wort down and topped it up to 23 liters, pitched the yeast. Fermented for 14 days at 20 degrees, added the dry hops on day 3. The FG was either 1.010 or 1.012, didn\u2019t bother to write it down. [innocent] Primed at the normal rate.

 

I must say I\u2019m very pleased with this one. It\u2019s only been in the bottles for two weeks now, but already it\u2019s a very pleasant drop. Beautiful brown color and a rather prominent caramel character. Reminds me of the English Bitter, actually. The hops contrast the maltiness nicely.

 

So, any ideas as to what the OG might have been? This one definitely gives me a slightly deeper buzz than the stuff I usually brew (kit + 1 kg of DME or brew enhancer), so I\u2019m guessing the ABV is probably somewhere above 5 %.

 

Thanks in advance!

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Howdy ho, Muddy!

 

Actually, it's neither. I ground and mashed a kilo of Pale Ale grains along with the Crystal. Sorry, should have made that a bit clearer.

OG will depend on how much sugary goodness you extracted from the grain, in other words the efficiency of your mini mash.

 

A refractometer + a hydrometer + some calculations can give you the OG of a fermented beer.

 

Assuming 72% efficiency, 1kg BB Pale malt should add 9-10 points. The can is 23 points, DME is 8 points and the Crystal around 6 points. So 1.045 -1.047

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Assuming 72% efficiency' date=' 1kg BB Pale malt should add 9-10 points. The can is 23 points, DME is 8 points and the Crystal around 6 points. So 1.045 -1.047[/quote']

 

Much obliged! So that would put the ABV somewhere around 5.2 %. Pretty much what I had in mind. [cool]

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